Mr. Prime Minister,
Congratulations and Best Wishes for having succeeded with flying colors in the world's largest electoral exercise. We, the People of India, have voted for change. We saw hope for resurrection in you. In your hands, we see India Shinning. We really do. This letter may not reach you but at this historic moment of Indian Democracy, I felt even the voice of a simple citizen has value and we need to put forward some points which need your urgent attention. I have enlisted 10 most pressing issues which in my opinion should be addressed in mission mode. They are not in any particular order.
1. Food Security. Yes, we have enacted a legislation to this effect but the ground realities are pathetic. And the irony is that there is no dearth of food grains. We are producing record level food grains every year so much so that we have exhausted our storage capacities and the rats are getting obese with the daily feasts they enjoy. The rains are destroying whatever these rats leave. I feel that we need to provide this cover only to the most vulnerable sections and to others we should rather provide work. That way we would be controlling the hunger deaths and food subsidy inflation at the same time. Through your speeches, I gather that you have similar plans. I look forward to see that in action.
2. Primary Healthcare. When the urban population visits hospitals like Apollo, Max Healthcare and other big private chains, they feel that the Indian healthcare has transformed itself providing all kinds of rare medical treatment with the element of hospitality. But the moment you step into a government one, you get that much needed reality check. I happened to visit one such institution. After spending almost an entire day there, I observed that the doctors are really talented and affectionate towards the masses. The biggest problem is that the workload being humongous, they have to compromise at various ends. The problems multiply in rural setups where the necessary basic resources are also missing. According to the last years economic survey, India only spends about 4.1 % on healthcare which is way less than the double digit figure for most nations. As Winston Churchill said,"Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have". Yes, we enjoy the demographic dividend over countries like China and Japan but it would prove futile if its not healthy enough to carry India forward. Almost half of Indians are indulging in open defecation which again leads to health issues. You once said "पहले शौचालय , फिर देवालय ". Let's do that.
3. Left Wing Extremism. This is the biggest threat to the internal security of our country and which also has the potential to derail the development and nation-building process. Yes we have dedicated paramilitary forces like CRPF, ITBP etc who are constantly involved in Anti Naxal Operations (ANO) and various State Police Forces are also experimenting successfully by introducing special forces like the Greyhounds. Integrated Action Plan(IAP) and Saranda Development Plan have shown success but we need stricter police action and more inclusive development to end this battle once and for all. Andhra Pradesh has taken great strides in this direction. The other states can too. What lacks is the political will, something which we see a great deal in you.
4. North East Region. While drawing the Indian map, we take pride in encircling the seven sisters and showcase it to the world with all fanfare. When it comes to everything else, why do we forget them? Why are they treated as aliens? Why are they exploited when they migrate to inner regions of the country? Why do they become a subject of mockery? Why are we not able to give them law and order, governance and a sense of involvement in the national agenda. They are as much Indian as the people of Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi. We created a Vision 2020, a separate Ministry and what not but only on paper. Time is here to make it a reality.What you did for a western state of India, must be replicated for these eastern states!
5. Police Reforms. Since 1977, there have been numerous commissions in this regard and the compilation of all recommendation would surely need all the paper in the world. Even the Supreme Court has listed 7 principles asserting the importance of these reforms. But not even a single step has been taken. Why would the political class provide the police to act independently and transparently. It would be suicidal for them. It is a perfect arrangement. This needs to change. Now. Give them security of tenure, separate investigation agencies, complaints authority to protect people from abuse. That will do. On the eve of independence, we christened the Police 'Force' to Police 'Service'. But do they really serve?
6. Corruption. Cliched yes, but does that make it irrelevant? Any developing nation would have pilferage and leakages but we need to make the whole government-citizen interface more accountable and transparent. And we need to start at the highest of levels as the losses are maximum there and also it has a tendency to flow downwards. The problem is not the absence of a mechanism. The problem is the dependence of these mechanisms on the culprits. Corruption is more of an environmental problem. We need to change the attitude of the people. That would change a lot. Lokpal is not the panacea, promoting integrity is.
7. Tourism. Frankly speaking I cannot think of any other country which has so many geographical variations. Snow clad mountains, picturesque deserts, meandering rivers, glittering coastlines, beautiful ghats and rich cultural heritage in the the forms of forts, palaces and temples. You name it, we have it. But I have just one question. Why still we have a lowly share of 0.64% in world tourism? We need to mend it. It will give us employment, revenue and soft power. Lets open the gates of Incredible India to the world and welcome them with a warm embrace. Help them, guide them and show them love. Don't rape them.
8. Research & Development. The future would be with the nation which has the technology. The patent war is a proof of that. If we do not invest in R&D, we would be always depending on others. But unfortunately the compulsions of being a prismatic society mean that we don't even spend even 1 % of our GDP into R&D. We need to change this. We need to promote innovation and higher education. Our HRD policy should be overhauled to promote higher education. We can think of infusing private funds into this in form of some PPP arrangements. But if we want India to rise among the comity of nations, we need to promote R&D.
9. Rivers of India. They are no doubt the lifeline of any civilization. Even in this post-modern world. But religious fundamentalism and industrial greediness have spoiled them and reduced them into dark streams of diseases. The black Yamuna flowing in our capital is a national shame. And so are the other rivers with declining life forms and increasing pollutants. They affect millions of people indirectly and also have a great influence on their health. Such unpleasant scenes of the Ganges also pollute the touristic portrait of India. The Save Yamuna and Ganga action plans have not yielded much action. We need newer, more vigorous initiatives.
10. Foreign Policy. Peace keeping Missions, among the largest economies, largest democracy, no first use nuclear doctrine and blah blah. Yes, we make a legible claim to be among the world leaders. But we lack the most important parameter. The ability to take stands. We have mostly played safe when it comes to UNSC resolutions or have abstained from voting. The co-founders of NAM should not back out when the time comes to support justice and human rights. We should not indulge in favoratism for petty gains. We should stand by the principles we preach to the world. We need to resurrect NAM and implement the Gujral's doctrine more vehemently to gain local support. We need to rethink our foreign policy.
The day you got the mandate of the people, you delivered a great speech. "We did not get a chance to die, but let us live for our country". You are the PM we have been wanting. One who talks to us. One who only sees public service as his goal. We now eagerly await your moves. And we are ready for all the support you need. And lastly this letter would not be complete without saying, "Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar".
All the very best!
Congratulations and Best Wishes for having succeeded with flying colors in the world's largest electoral exercise. We, the People of India, have voted for change. We saw hope for resurrection in you. In your hands, we see India Shinning. We really do. This letter may not reach you but at this historic moment of Indian Democracy, I felt even the voice of a simple citizen has value and we need to put forward some points which need your urgent attention. I have enlisted 10 most pressing issues which in my opinion should be addressed in mission mode. They are not in any particular order.
1. Food Security. Yes, we have enacted a legislation to this effect but the ground realities are pathetic. And the irony is that there is no dearth of food grains. We are producing record level food grains every year so much so that we have exhausted our storage capacities and the rats are getting obese with the daily feasts they enjoy. The rains are destroying whatever these rats leave. I feel that we need to provide this cover only to the most vulnerable sections and to others we should rather provide work. That way we would be controlling the hunger deaths and food subsidy inflation at the same time. Through your speeches, I gather that you have similar plans. I look forward to see that in action.
2. Primary Healthcare. When the urban population visits hospitals like Apollo, Max Healthcare and other big private chains, they feel that the Indian healthcare has transformed itself providing all kinds of rare medical treatment with the element of hospitality. But the moment you step into a government one, you get that much needed reality check. I happened to visit one such institution. After spending almost an entire day there, I observed that the doctors are really talented and affectionate towards the masses. The biggest problem is that the workload being humongous, they have to compromise at various ends. The problems multiply in rural setups where the necessary basic resources are also missing. According to the last years economic survey, India only spends about 4.1 % on healthcare which is way less than the double digit figure for most nations. As Winston Churchill said,"Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have". Yes, we enjoy the demographic dividend over countries like China and Japan but it would prove futile if its not healthy enough to carry India forward. Almost half of Indians are indulging in open defecation which again leads to health issues. You once said "पहले शौचालय , फिर देवालय ". Let's do that.
3. Left Wing Extremism. This is the biggest threat to the internal security of our country and which also has the potential to derail the development and nation-building process. Yes we have dedicated paramilitary forces like CRPF, ITBP etc who are constantly involved in Anti Naxal Operations (ANO) and various State Police Forces are also experimenting successfully by introducing special forces like the Greyhounds. Integrated Action Plan(IAP) and Saranda Development Plan have shown success but we need stricter police action and more inclusive development to end this battle once and for all. Andhra Pradesh has taken great strides in this direction. The other states can too. What lacks is the political will, something which we see a great deal in you.
4. North East Region. While drawing the Indian map, we take pride in encircling the seven sisters and showcase it to the world with all fanfare. When it comes to everything else, why do we forget them? Why are they treated as aliens? Why are they exploited when they migrate to inner regions of the country? Why do they become a subject of mockery? Why are we not able to give them law and order, governance and a sense of involvement in the national agenda. They are as much Indian as the people of Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi. We created a Vision 2020, a separate Ministry and what not but only on paper. Time is here to make it a reality.What you did for a western state of India, must be replicated for these eastern states!
5. Police Reforms. Since 1977, there have been numerous commissions in this regard and the compilation of all recommendation would surely need all the paper in the world. Even the Supreme Court has listed 7 principles asserting the importance of these reforms. But not even a single step has been taken. Why would the political class provide the police to act independently and transparently. It would be suicidal for them. It is a perfect arrangement. This needs to change. Now. Give them security of tenure, separate investigation agencies, complaints authority to protect people from abuse. That will do. On the eve of independence, we christened the Police 'Force' to Police 'Service'. But do they really serve?
6. Corruption. Cliched yes, but does that make it irrelevant? Any developing nation would have pilferage and leakages but we need to make the whole government-citizen interface more accountable and transparent. And we need to start at the highest of levels as the losses are maximum there and also it has a tendency to flow downwards. The problem is not the absence of a mechanism. The problem is the dependence of these mechanisms on the culprits. Corruption is more of an environmental problem. We need to change the attitude of the people. That would change a lot. Lokpal is not the panacea, promoting integrity is.
7. Tourism. Frankly speaking I cannot think of any other country which has so many geographical variations. Snow clad mountains, picturesque deserts, meandering rivers, glittering coastlines, beautiful ghats and rich cultural heritage in the the forms of forts, palaces and temples. You name it, we have it. But I have just one question. Why still we have a lowly share of 0.64% in world tourism? We need to mend it. It will give us employment, revenue and soft power. Lets open the gates of Incredible India to the world and welcome them with a warm embrace. Help them, guide them and show them love. Don't rape them.
8. Research & Development. The future would be with the nation which has the technology. The patent war is a proof of that. If we do not invest in R&D, we would be always depending on others. But unfortunately the compulsions of being a prismatic society mean that we don't even spend even 1 % of our GDP into R&D. We need to change this. We need to promote innovation and higher education. Our HRD policy should be overhauled to promote higher education. We can think of infusing private funds into this in form of some PPP arrangements. But if we want India to rise among the comity of nations, we need to promote R&D.
9. Rivers of India. They are no doubt the lifeline of any civilization. Even in this post-modern world. But religious fundamentalism and industrial greediness have spoiled them and reduced them into dark streams of diseases. The black Yamuna flowing in our capital is a national shame. And so are the other rivers with declining life forms and increasing pollutants. They affect millions of people indirectly and also have a great influence on their health. Such unpleasant scenes of the Ganges also pollute the touristic portrait of India. The Save Yamuna and Ganga action plans have not yielded much action. We need newer, more vigorous initiatives.
10. Foreign Policy. Peace keeping Missions, among the largest economies, largest democracy, no first use nuclear doctrine and blah blah. Yes, we make a legible claim to be among the world leaders. But we lack the most important parameter. The ability to take stands. We have mostly played safe when it comes to UNSC resolutions or have abstained from voting. The co-founders of NAM should not back out when the time comes to support justice and human rights. We should not indulge in favoratism for petty gains. We should stand by the principles we preach to the world. We need to resurrect NAM and implement the Gujral's doctrine more vehemently to gain local support. We need to rethink our foreign policy.
The day you got the mandate of the people, you delivered a great speech. "We did not get a chance to die, but let us live for our country". You are the PM we have been wanting. One who talks to us. One who only sees public service as his goal. We now eagerly await your moves. And we are ready for all the support you need. And lastly this letter would not be complete without saying, "Ab ki baar, Modi sarkar".
All the very best!
1 comment:
Very well written. Such an impeccable expression. Highly motivating. Hope Mr. Modi comes across it.
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